When compared to the current, existing system, the proposed system isn't actually a nerf to these weapon types, indirect or otherwise.
Sure, I agree with that. My point of reference was that all weapons start out from the same performance baseline of the gun itself plus 100 attachment points. I wasn't comparing it to the old system, but it indeed suffers from the same downside, unless the non-signature weapon classes are balanced with a different baseline in mind.
It does come with the hiccup of requiring multiple presets per weapon, but if done correctly and with a good UI, this can be implemented very intuitively and become a non-problem.
Don't you think that a proper UI would also alleviate some of the criticisms you have of the current system?
Your overall idea makes sense though, the idea of having 20 more attachment points is a far more flexible and interesting approach than static bonuses.
An improved UI could definitely help the current bonuses. Take the support bonus, for example. What does "no sprint speed penalty" even mean? Does this mean that LMGs inherently have a reduction to sprint speed when they are equipped? Do other weapons have this penalty as well, and its just that LMGs have the most drastic penalty? Does this mean that a Support player sprinting with an LMG would actually move faster than someone sprinting with an SMG, because their LMG has no sprint penalty at all? Or is it that LMGs are the only weapon type with a sprint speed penalty, so a Support player sprinting with an LMG will run just as fast as everybody else?
This is the convolution I was referring to earlier. An improved UI experience could definitely cut this down, but I still favor a system that puts more control over the bonus into the player's hands.
